Florida shooting of a grandfather on Thursday left eight people dead, including his six grandchildren and his daughter. The recent Florida shooting of a grandfather occurred at his home in a small North Florida town, after which he committed suicide by turning the gun on himself, according to law enforcement officials in Florida.

According to The Guardian, at a news conference, Gilchrist County sheriff Robert Schultz identified the shooter as 51-year-old Don Spirit. Spirit reportedly even called 911 on the day of the Florida shooting. The call was made about 4 p.m. local time (7 a.m. AEST) and Schultz said Spirit made threats against his family and himself, prompting police to respond to the scene immediately.

According to Schultz, Spirit was alive when the first sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene of the Florida shooting incident on Thursday. However, he soon committed suicide as he saw the police. Authorities found the other 7 bodies later at the home in Bell, a small town in central Florida about 30 miles west of Gainesville.

The Guardian reports the ages of the children ranging from three months to 11 years old.

According to the Associated Press, Schultz only released the names of the victims in the Florida shooting incident at a later news conference. They were 28-year-old Sarah Lorraine Spirit, 11-year-old Kaleb Kuhlmann, 9-year-old Kylie Kuhlmann, 8-year-old Johnathon Kuhlmann, 5-year-old Destiny Stewart, 4-year-old Brandon Stewart 3-month-old Alanna Stewart.

Sarah Spirit is reportedly the mother of all six children. Schultz said some of those he killed lived at the house with their grandfather.

Schultz added that Spirit was the only suspect in the Florida shooting. What's odd is that Spirit left some people alive at the home.

At the Thursday press conference, Schultz said there had been an interaction between Spirit and the deputy, but authorities believe the seven victims of the Florida shooting had already been dead when the officer arrived.

After searching the building of the Florida shooting incident, the officer reportedly found "multiple victims with apparent gunshot wounds".

 "When he called 911, he said enough to alarm us to get someone there, and we needed to get there in a hurry." said Schultz.

He added, "We're asking for prayers for this community and the families involved. This is a small county. We're all family here. We will continue to be family and we will work through this."

According to news.com.au, Schultz said Spirit already had a criminal history, another shooting, prior to the Florida shooting incident.

In November 2001, the Orlando Sentinel reported Spirit accidentally shot and killed his eight-year-old son Kyle while using a high powered rifle in a hunting trip to the Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area near Kenansville, Florida. Spirit was sentenced to three years in jail in 2003 and he was reported as being emotional about the shooting at his hearing.

According to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, Spirit was not only with Kyle, but that another son named Josh, then 13, was with them during the alleged accident. He reportedly stopped, pointing out some rust on the barrel of a Browning rifle he carried, when the rifle e fired and a bullet struck the young boy in the head.

The Guardian reports that the incident was accepted as an accident, but prosecutors still charged Spirit with illegal possession of a weapon.

Even before the hunting accident, Spirit had already been convicted in 1998 as a felon for possession of marijuana. Since then, he had not been allowed to own a gun.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections website, in 2006, Spirit was released from jail after he served three years for firearms offences relating to the hunting accident.

State attorney Mike Saunders reportedly told the Orlando Sentinel at the time, "It's a tragedy all the way round. But if he had followed the law and not possessed a firearm, the child would not be dead."

Meanwhile, the length of a dirt road leading to the scene of the Florida shooting incident near Bell had been cordoned by police.

Schultz said of the Florida shooting tragedy, "I haven't seen anything like this at all. This county, this community is going to be devastated from this."

He added, "Keep this community in your prayers. Tomorrow's going to be a hard day in Gilchrest County."

Schultz also said another daughter of Spirit is still alive, though he did not name the woman.

Schultz told the Gainesville Sun, "There are certain things in life you can explain. And there are certain things you cannot explain. This is something I cannot explain."

According to news.com.au, Schultz also would not say where the victims of the Florida shooting were found. However, he said that "they were certainly all over on the property."

There is also no word if a weapon was recovered or what sort was used in the Florida shooting incident.
Florida shooting of a grandfather is only one shooting tragedy amongst many others to have occurred in the U.S. during the year. There is still no apparent motive for the murder-suicide, but according to Schultz, deputies would release more information as soon as they are available.